The advantages of confocal laser scanning microscope with the size

and price of an IR camera

The combination of high contrast imaging, infrared capabilities,

extremely small size and low cost enables many new applications

Fiducial mark image collected through

polished silicon wafe

Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope

Conventional

microscope image

LSCM Image

Key Benefits: • High contrast monochrome imaging inherent to confocal microscopy

• Can be used as an accessory to infinity corrected optical microscopes

• Combining confocal microscopy with IR enables imaging through thick semi-opaque material

• Small size and low cost enables new applications

• Self-contained – no need for separate illumination

• Flexibility in parameter settings facilitates evolving applications

• Rugged construction designed for industrial applications

Main Features:

• Application of fast XY scanner enables video rate imaging

• Various parameters are user adjustable Resolution Frame rate

Magnification Image contrast

Laser intensity Detector sensitivity

Flip, rotate image Line scan and area scan modes are user selectable

• Includes laser scanning confocal microscope, LSCM controller, controller cables (galvanometer,

Data communication, power/interlock) and connector kit

• Options available: Frame grabber with camera link cable

Optical interface module to attachment any WDI autofocus sensor

‘Z’-axis actuator (ZAA)

CCD camera with white LED illumination

Beam splitter if required

• Choice of laser source from 600 to 1550 nm (1060, 1300, 1550 standard choices)

• Compact size - LSCM: 150 x 100 x 100mm, controller: 167 x 60 x 129mm

• Light weight - LSCM: 2.2kg, controller: 1.1kg.

• Warranty: 18 months

LSCM Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope

Advantages of Confocal Laser Scanning

Microscopy

Industrial Applications of Confocal Microscopy

Thin Film Profiling: When investigating multilayer structures, the true surface of a substrate can be observed

through a surface coating. The thickness of the coating can be determined by observing the 2 peaks in the axial intensity

variation. It is necessary to know the refractive index of the film to account for the refractive depth distortion of the

image. The resolution of this method, which can be used for more complex axial structures, is limited to about one

wavelength.

Metrology: The electronic form of its image signal is suitable for quantitative dimensional measurements and is

enhanced because of improved axial resolution capabilities and that the plane of measurement can be accurately located.

The magnification of the confocal image needs to be calibrated, as the nominal magnification of most objective lenses is

not sufficiently exact.

Inspection of semiconductor devices: There are many advantages over electron microscopy including the non-

invasive nature avoiding the creation of surface defects and contamination and ability to image through non-conducting

passivation layers.

• By restricting the illumination to a single point which is

scanned to produce a complete image (point scanning

illumination) almost all the light emitting from regions above

and below the focal plane of a confocal light microscope is

physically prevented from contributing to the observed

image, which thus contains only in-focus information. This

endows the confocal microscope with significant axial

resolutions, and permits its use for serial non-invasive optical

scanning, and the acquisition of 3D image data.

• Out of focus blur is essentially absent from confocal images

giving the capability for direct non-invasive serial optical

sectioning of intact and living specimens such as biological

cells and tissue.

• In a similar way, it allows profiling of the surface of 3D

objects and multi-layer structures such as integrated circuits

deposited on silicon or glass, again by non-contacting and

non-destructive method.

• It also has a small but significant improvement in lateral resolution. It rejects stray light not only from out-

of-focus specimen planes but also light scattered from within the optical instrument itself, resulting in

increased contrast and signal-to-noise ratio in the final image.

• It is also compatible with computer image storage techniques, allowing, for example, generation of high-

resolution digitized data sets of the 3D distribution of markers within cells or tissue, or the topography of a

surface, suitable for subsequent image processing.

LSCM Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope

LSCM Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope

Parameter Value Comment

Maximum IP Pixel Resolution 1270 x 1000 pixel user adjustable

Maximum Field of View 1” CCD equivalent (9.6 x 12.8mm)

800µm diam.at 20X (Example) 320µm diam. at 50X (Example)

Object Plane Resolution Diffraction limited wavelength & NA dependent

Frame rate (user adjustable) 10.7 fps at 1270 x 1000 pixels (Maximum)

19.8 fps (Example) at 1270 x 480 pixels

Line scan mode: line rate 12 kHz

speed (examples) 29.5mm/s at 1270 pixels at 5X 96mm/s at 400 pixels at 5X

24 mm/s at 400 pixels at 20X

LSCM Specifications:

Scanner to objective offset: 177mm

Detector: Avalanche Photodetector

Illumination: Laser diode

Standard choices: 1060, 1300, 1550nm

Other choices: between 700nm and

1550nm

Laser class: IIIB

Input: +/-24V/2.5A (not supplied)

Output: Camera Link to

Frame grabber

(optional)